Wild and Free

You got me thinking now, can you post a couple pics of the engine itself?

I thought that little skid steer should have a Kubota diesel engine in it but it may be a bit older model than what I used to work on years ago. The smaller ones like that were not too common in my area the 1840 and 1845 models were the most common. I run 2 stroke in my Kubota tractor all the time, let her buck, it isn't going to hurt a thing. The bigger newer 1840C and 1845C Case skid steers had a 3.9 4bt cummins in them.

Why do you think the intake cover plate gasket isn't in the same shape as the grid heater gaskets, you were just a few more bolts away and you had the gasket in hand at that point? What was wrong with his IP?

That's your issue, I said a little heat, red hot gets everything hot and expands together including the ball joint so you are just as tight as before heating it. A bit of heat to the housing is all it takes but not red hot.

heat and hammer on housing with full pressure on it. Or torch it out. You are replacing them so no need to be gentle or try to save anything at this point.

I use impact socket and impact extension and beat on them after I go around the unit with a propane torch and heat the radius just a bit and then work the outer diameter with a hammer and then go after the bolts with impact socket and extension, has worked every time for me without too much effort. Trick I think is to work it out evenly once you notice it move a bit on one side move to the next side or it will bind even harder. Usually have to grind just a bit of mushroom off the end of the extension when done and that's about it, no damage to anything else. The other thing is I only back the bolts out about a couple turns max as to not bend them and or damage the threads and keep working it around until bolt heads hit and then back them out another couple turns till she is out. I think some people back the bolts out too far and then you have less surface area via the threads actually transferring force or energy to the hub. You actually get a shock absorber action or flex through the bolt instead.

Then it should stay parked until it can be addressed and the builder needs top know this. You keep driving it and trash even more stuff he is not going to stand behind it at all if he even will at this point anymore. You wipe out a planetary set or even more major damage it will only cost more and more the more you drive it, the instance you heard it make noise and it slipped is when it should have gotten parked until it could get fixed, not drive it more and more.

This one had me going for a bit!!! New 2017 Ram Charger. Man if this was real with Power wagon options and 6.4 Hemi, I would be getting me one. http://www.fourwheeler.com/moab-experience/2015/1504-ram-unveils-2017-ramcharger-concept-at-easter-jeep-safari-2015-in-moab/?sm_id=social_aumofourwheelerhub_default_20150401_43044526&adbid=10152654778901290&adbpl=fb&adbpr=22256451289

And the place that built it is not local to you? If not is he the one not wanting to return your calls, you need to call the builder and see if he will allow another tranny shop to troubleshoot it and see if he will cover the cost at this point. One reason I refuse to run mail order trannies, I need a shop to go to locally to do this warranty and troubleshooting if the need arises. I Have a couple tranny shops that deal with pretty much all the big tranny component shops and will build your tranny with whatever components you choose. The builder who just did the tranny in my 2010 Hemi works with pretty much all the big name tranny component builders and has honest opinions of all of them he was not afraid to share.

Why not take it to the tranny shop for some assistance, most of them have been around and have seen these vehicle specific issues if it a decent shop and probably know right away what it is rather than you beating your head against the wall.

Another outdoor sportsmans must have from Yeti!!! Got my order in last night and overnight shipped it and am headed to Montana tomorrow after work to do some Bull Shark Fishing....

Ran across this one today. http://helenair.com/angler-catches-shark-in-missouri-river/article_9ba2e113-f93b-5eb1-ab91-98c46faae674.html Word of an unlikely catch in the Missouri River is sending shockwaves through the angling community. The fisherman, who asked to remain anonymous, was casting a streamer when after a couple of quick strips of the line, something ferociously attacked from the depths and raced upstream. “I was just hanging on,” he said as they gave chase in a drift boat. “I thought I hooked into a world record brown.” But the fish fought like no trout the angler had ever felt on the end of his rod. Finally after two hours, he was able to start inching line back onto the reel. “I kept looking to see the flash of a tail, but when he finally came to the surface, I couldn’t believe it,” he said. A bull shark, the first ever recorded in Montana, was solidly hooked in the corner of the mouth. The angler and a friend managed to wrestle the beast into the boat. “We’ve been getting reports for years of disappearing livestock in that stretch,” said a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks fisheries biologist. “I guess this explains it.” The female shark was pregnant, indicating a breeding population unknown to science but likely trapped in the stretch between Holter Dam and Great Falls long before dams were built, she said. “Either that or it flew here, which I’m fairly confident sharks can’t do,” she added. As word spread, anglers flocked to Craig on Monday. “It’s been great for business,” said one fishing shop owner. “The choice fly has been the white pelican on a slow retrieve, but they’re catching a few on beaver patterns with a sinking leader.”

We have an online classified site here in State based out of Bismarck that blows CL out of the water. Here in ND CL is a dead zone and can't compete with this local site, if you have something here in ND to sell this is the go to site. But for the Smarty JR with the small amount of folks who would be interested in it e-bay would be better for an item like that I think. http://www.bismanonline.com/

I may give that a try, I buy a few things off there from time to time but have never tried to sell anything on there. My wife sells stuff on Amazon but never e-bay either as far as I know.

Well she has about 2500 miles on it now and not a single issue, just like a brand new car like it is in reality. I can't seem to get her to keep track of mileage though..... I have put about a hundred miles on it myself just to get a feel for it, it is fun to drive and a lot more comfy than the 03, very peppy 2.0 l TDI and super fast turbo spool up compared to our cummins, no comparison. Can't seem to get the shift pattern spacing down quite right with the 6 speed yet, gears are so close together I end up shifting down two gears instead of up one sometimes good thing it doesn't have a short shifter unit in it, I would be in real trouble.

If someone would take my smarty jr pod off my hands that's for sale I could fund the new smarty touch I want...........................................you now have my vote too.

When I worked at the gear shop I used to make u-bolts, we had a big specialty press bench designed for doing leaf spring and u-bolt work, we custom shaped and arched leaf springs and we carried a full line of all lengths and diameters of u-bolt stock and custom bent them to what ever application one needed, the press had a full selection of different dies for sizes and different bend radiuses or square bends. The shop also carried a full line of about every type and size and hardness of leaf spring stock as well. Seemed we had the older F250 and f350 4X4 Fords with their absolute junk independent front suspension pickups in the shop all the time redoing the front sagged out spring packs. Truth be told I am not sure I have ever torqued but a couple sets of the hundreds I have replaced over the years. Once one knows their air impact well enough and how much torque it puts out on different size fasteners is all I went by as did most other seasoned mechanics but if you don't live with an impact in your hands every day with a torque wrench close by for spot checking then normal torqueing is best.

When do the seals seem to fail, right at start up or after a few miles or after warmed up, certain driving conditions?

Have / had them on 3 pickups now and absolutely love them, best bang for the buck from my years of research and use. Can't even begin to count the number of deer that have deflected off the front of my rigs and have had zero damage other than some crap smeared around up front and the smell that goes with it after the suicidal critters decide to jump out in front of me. I have relatives in Butte and my wife has family in Missoula and Bozeman. and both have friends scattered all about MT. So get out there at least every couple years for a couple days to visit various folks.

Are you a Cali native or from another area of the USA?

Might want to plan this in advance to make sure it doesn't interfere with Mikes Biannual Mullet dying appointment................. Sorry had to do this, an inside joke from another thread.

So what is a Navy man going to do in Montana and where at in montana? Welcome to the zoo. Have a brother in law who put 20 in with the navy, most of it under water as an officer in command of nuclear power generation on subs and the last 5 years or so helping with the process of building the USS Tuscon power generation system before retiring from the navy after it went into service.

When doing u-bolts I tighten them evenly so as to have the same amount of threads protruding from each nut and then once snugged then torque them. What you did is fine and what you felt is totally normal. Remember the u-bolts are basically forming to the shape of the plates and will pull down unevenly as they form, which is why I do it evenly based on length at first instead of torque.